Arch-file.



'PATENTED DEG. 10, 1907.

W. 0. GOTTWALS.

ARCH FILE APPLICATION FILED JULYze. 1907.

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WILLIAM O. GOTTWALS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

ARCH-FILE Speccaton of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 10, 1907.

Application led July 26. 1907. Serial No. 385,696.

To all whom it may concer/n:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM O. GOTT- WALs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and. State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Arch-Files, of which the following' is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of bill holders or files known as arch files, on which letters, bills or papers are held on arches or wires composed of separable members. Of such wires or arches one member, of each arch, is movable by swinging in planes transverse to the arch-wires to leave a space between the members of the arches for the insertion and impaling, or for the removal, of paers. P The present invention relates more particularly to the construction of the base which supports the stationary and movable wires, and to the construction of the station' ary wires and their mode of connection with the base, with the result of making the structure stiH and rigid when the component parts of the base are formed of thin sheet metal.

The invention consists in the parts and combinations thereof hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In order to make the invention more clearly understood I have shown in the accompanying drawings means for carrying it into practical eHect, without limiting my improvements, in their useful applications, to the particular construction which, for the sake of example, I have delineated.

In the said drawings-Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of an arch file embodying my invention, on line I of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the hollow sheet metal base plate, showing also the operating mechanism. Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the bottom covering plate. Fig. 4 is a sectional view showing the means of connection between the movable arch members. Fig. 5 is an elevation of one of the stationary arch members having its base shaped for forming a connection 4between the hollow base and the covering plate. Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view, on a larger scale, showing the last mentioned connection. Fig. 7lis agsection showing another means for holding the middle part of the spring. y

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates a portion of the base board or other suitable support to which the parts comprising my improvements are attached.

2 is the hollow base formed of sheet metal, struck up to the form shown, so as to have a relatively deep inclosing space 3 for the operating mechanism and a shallow space 4 within which ts the bottom covering late 5 at its forward part. The base 2 is pre 'erably of ornamental form, having an eye 6 for suspending the file and constructed with forward extensions 7 to carry the fixed arch members 8.

The xed arch` members are made of sheet metal formed into a hollow cylinder with an outwardly extending circumferential bend 9 near the lower end and suitably sharpened at the upper end to impale the papers to be filed. (Fig. 5.)

The bottom plate 5 is shaped in outline to fit closely within the space 4 of the base 2 and to cover the space 3. The base is provided in its flange 10, at suitable points near the rear part of the base with apertures 11 within which fit corresponding lugs 12 formed on the plate 5.

After the operating mechanism has been assembled within the space 3 the covering plate 5 is applied by inserting its lugs 12 into the apertures 11 aand {then fitting the forward part of the plate into the space 4. This construction and arrangement of the parts of the file by which the arch members are supported gives great stiffness to the entire file and insures the registry of the arch members with each other after long continued use.

13 indicates holes formed in the extensions 7 to receive the lower parts 14 of the members 8.

It is important to maintain the fixed arch members rigidly in a vertical position, and this is also difficult when their supporting parts are of thin sheet metal. In order to rigidly secure these members I give their lower parts below the bend 9 a relatively long bearing by ystriking up ailange 15 around the holes 13, over which flange the metal of the bend 9 is upset (Fig. 6).

The extreme lower end of the arch member 8 passes through a hole 16 4and is then upset, as indicated at 17, after the covering plate 5 has been applied as above described. This last operation securely unites all of the metal parts of the file, and it only remains to secure the same to the base board 1, as by screws orrivets passing through holes 18, which latter are conveniently formed in the forward parts of the base and covering plate.

I provide a long bearing for each of the movable or rotary arch members 19 by forming an upwardly extending flange 20 around the hole 21 in the upper part of the base, through which hole the arch member 19 is inserted from below before the plate 5 is applied. The extreme lower end of the movable arch member is inserted and has a rotary bearing in an aperture 22 in the covering plate 5. Within the space 3 both of said members 19 have fixed rigidly thereon arms 23, these arms being inclined in opposite directions in a known manner. In the forward part of one arm and in the rear part of the other arm is a hole 24, the arms being connected, so that the arches 24 will turn in opposite directions away from the fixed arch members 8, by a wire 25 the ends 26 of which are bent into the form of journals which are inserted into the apertures 24 in the arms 23. The top of the wire 25 slides against the under surface of the base 2 and is thereby kept in place in the apertures 24.

.The members 19 and arms 23 are held from movement in a downward direction by the plate 5.

27 is a spring formed with a central bend 28 and arms 29 at its ends. The bend 28 is engaged by a tongue 30 cut out from andbent inward from the plate 5, so as to keep the spring in place. The forward part of the spring bears against the front wall 31 of the space 3, and the arms 29 of the spring are engaged'by and press strongly uponl the forward ends of the arms 23.

32 is a stop cut out and bent in from the plate 5 near one of the arms 23 in such position that it will prevent the backward turning of the arches 24 when the latter are sufiiciently Vseparated from the fixed members 8. When the arches are in such position the arms 23 which engage the spring arms 29 will be about perpendicular to the spring arms, or a little past the perpendicular position, so that the arches will be held by the pressure of the spring in an open position away from the members 8. I prefer to construct the stop or stops for the rotary arch Amembers by terminating one or both ends of the spring 27 in an upward bent portion 33, against which the adjacent arm 23 will strike when the arches are sufficiently opened. These bent ears 33 constitute stops which most directly and eectually control the arms 23 with reference to the spring, and maybe employed to the exclusion of the stop 32.

In place of the tongue 30 I. may hold the middle part of the spring 27 by a projection 34 which is not integral with the bottom plate. Such construction is indicated in Fig. 7 in which the projection is formed with a pin or rivet portion which passes through the base plate 2 and is upset on the outer side of the latter, as shown at 35.

The smooth and accurate operation of the file and the proper registry of the ends of the rotary and fixed arch members depend largely upon maintaining the alinement of the shaftsy of the rotary arch members and keeping them perpendicular to the base plate during their rotation. I effect this result by giving them' at their extreme lower ends a long and strong bearing, by means of a bearing plate mechanism and a shallow space for the covering plate, the said plate having an engagement at its rear part with the base, covering the said mechanism and fitting in the shallow space, the movable arch members pivotally mounted in the base and plate, mechanism 4connecting the said members and arranged in the deep space, and the fixed arch members passing through and securing together the forward parts of the base and plate, substantially as set forth.

2. In an arch file, the. combination of the base struck up from sheet metal to forma space for the reception of the operating mechanism and having a forward extension, a bottom plate engaged with the base at its rear part, covering the said mechanism and lying under the said forward extension of the base, movable arch members pivotally mounted in the said base and plate and having connecting operating mechanism in the said space of the base,v and the fixed arch members passing through and securing together the forward parts of the base and 4. The combination, in an arch file, of the base plate, the fixed and rotary arch members, the arms fixed on the rotary members, and the spring bearing` on the said arms and 5 having its ends formed to act as stops for the arms, substantially as set forth.

5. In an arch file provided with fixed and movable arch members, the base plate drawn from a single piece of metal and formed with 10 the deep recess portion for the mechanism and with the forward extension having a shallow recess, and With a surrounding flange, combined with the covering plate fitting .Within the said flange, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of tWo Witnesses.

WILLIAM o. GoTTWALs'.

Witnesses:

H. N. LOW, GEO. B. PITTs. 

